Security Awareness Training

Security awareness is not a “one and done” event. Businesses are hiring new employees, and security threats are constantly evolving. Keeping the employees up to date with the latest security awareness training is a key part of keeping them safe and reducing the impact of threats. Companies that train their employees about cybersecurity best practices spend 76 percent less on security incidents than their non-training counterparts, according to PwC’s 2014 U.S. State of Cybercrime Survey.

Why is Security Awareness Training Necessary?

The most efficient way to educate your employees on how to fortify the human element of your company’s security is through cybersecurity awareness training. For remote workers in particular, phishing, social engineering, compromised passwords and weak network security can expose your business to attackers.

Cybersecurity training is typically done on demand or as an online course so that it can be completed at the learner’s own pace, taken anywhere, and repeated as often as necessary. Since nobody learns when they’re bored, training that engages the learner is key to actually changing user behavior.

Training topics may include how to avoid phishing and other types of social engineering cyber attacks, spotting potential malware behaviors, reporting possible security threats, following company IT policies and best practices, and adhering to any applicable data privacy and compliance regulations.

Security Awareness Training for Business

Although businesses may feel their employees wouldn’t be fooled by something like a phishing scam, cybercriminals still use this attack method because it continues to be successful. In fact, the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report revealed that 93% of successful security breaches start with phishing.

With regular training for employees that includes phishing simulations, courses on IT and security best practices, and data protection and compliance training, businesses can significantly reduce risk, decrease infections and related help desk costs, protect their reputation by experiencing fewer breaches, and secure their overall cybersecurity investment.

These days, security is everyone’s responsibility. Even seemingly harmless behaviors or small mistakes can have big consequences. Security awareness training helps get everyone in an organization on the same page, reduce risks and incidents, and help the entire workforce protect their organization and themselves.